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December 9, 2022
Alexander signs each unique Pleiades Vase – a limited edition collection from the Designer Studio Within a leafy compound on the outskirts of Read more
October 25, 2022
Over the last month our Shagreen workshop has been extremely busy working on a group of decorative accessories launching this month. Named the Trove Read more
September 1, 2022
Shagreen or “galuchat” in French is a texturally rich and visually intriguing material that derives from the stingray fish. Shagreen was Read more
August 10, 2022
“Objects have power: they connect us to our most intimate selves and to the people, places, stories and memories of our lives.” That’s one of Read more
July 15, 2022
This year, our twentieth year, we have opened a showroom in London. This is a hugely exciting development for me personally, and the company, as London is a Read more
July 8, 2022
In the preface to his 2012 Catalogue Alexander Lamont talks about his first visit to Thailand as a boy conjuring memories through the smells and sensations of Read more
May 1, 2022
Many people coming to Bangkok for the first time are quite shocked by its incredible urban intensity. Where is the gentle Thai charm? It’s true that when Read more
April 2, 2022
This Spring Alexander Lamont introduces a new material as part of the Le Mur collection of wall panels: shimmering mica. Venice Panels are Read more
February 17, 2022
The Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 1800s was born in Great Britain in response to the impact of the industrial revolution on society. The Movement Read more
October 6, 2021
Jean-Michel Frank in 1930's. The great furniture, lighting and interior designer of the early 20th century, Jean-Michel Frank, was first revealed to Read more
August 20, 2021
What makes a design iconic? As well as being unique and impactful an iconic design exudes symbolism and a richness of representation whether that be of a Read more
April 19, 2021
One of the most cherished parts of my school life in Southwest England was completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Prince Philip was a great lover of the Read more
November 30, 2020
Alexander Lamont presents a short video introducing the Spring 2020 Sirena Collection. In the video Alex talks about his ideas surrounding the collection, Read more
September 8, 2020
This is a short story about life and death and rebirth, and about the transformation of nature into art. There was once a lotus leaf that found its roots Read more
August 1, 2020
Marquis Sconce by Alexander Lamont Inspired by the luminous decorative arts of the Art Deco era, Alexander Lamont has been reviving and innovating Read more
July 7, 2020
The straw marquetry is dyed by hand in our own workshops to five subtle tones of Burnt Coral before being inlaid in a sunburst pattern In our last Read more
May 8, 2020
This is a story about why Africa is important to me. I lived there as a very young child and so the story is fragmentary, distant and made up of sensory and Read more
May 4, 2020
Alex spent part of his childhood in Africa growing up in a village in Kenya while his father worked there as a missionary. The local markets were filled with Read more
April 30, 2020
Over the next few weeks we will be presenting the new collection of furniture, lighting and decorative objects by Alexander Lamont – Sirena. The Read more
March 11, 2020
In the mid to late 1500s the Portuguese Jesuit missionary, Father Gaspar Vilela came to Negoro in the Wakayama prefecture of Japan. There he found a complex of Read more
January 27, 2020
Buddhism is a religion practiced in a large part of Asia and has become an important cultural heritage of the region. Today its deep insight into the nature of Read more
October 31, 2019
Thailand is a special place for Alexander Lamont. It is where the brand was founded and continues to serve today as our home. Alex’s relationship with Read more
October 8, 2019
Alexander Lamont flagship shop is a quiet and sophisticated space where we show our collections of lighting, object, furniture and materials. It is an Read more
July 30, 2019
Spin Bowl The Spin Bowls are our latest lacquerware creation. Simple yet complex; terraces of linear lines create arounded form onto which numerous Read more
May 6, 2019
The Cicada Votive Box at Alexander Lamont's shop - Central Embassy The Cicada Votive Box is adorned by the Alexander Lamont company logo; a Read more
April 22, 2019
Alexander Lamont started his company with the very simple aspiration: to make original and beautiful things combining uncompromisingly exquisite Read more
April 2, 2019
Straw marquetry is suddenly in vogue. After decades in the relative shadows of the decorative arts, it is today finding a much stronger place in great interior Read more
October 30, 2018
Its been some time since I told the story of one of my designs. Part of this years Intarsia collection of furniture and lighting is the Wishbone Read more
August 30, 2018
The Acrolith statuary of ancient Greece with its contrasting marriage of materials is one of the inspirations behind Alexander Lamont’s 2018 Spring Read more
July 22, 2018
This is the story behind Alexander Lamont's newest collection of furniture pieces inspired by the shimmering intricacy of a butterfly's wings. Read more
April 15, 2018
This is the story of the creation of a collection, or collections of vases that was a longing I had for many years – to try my hand at designing Read more
November 8, 2017
This Fall Alexander Lamont launched new straw marquetry wall panels inspired by seminal artist, Sonia Delaunay. Forming part of his 2017 Le Mur Read more
August 30, 2017
Exploration and innovation of materials is at the heart of our company and the Lacquered Straw finish we have developed beautifully exemplifies this vision. Read more
August 3, 2017
We are pleased to show here a preview of the upcoming Minotti Catalogues within which lighting and accessory pieces from our collections are presented. Being Read more
June 28, 2017
Below is a photo essay with some views of our accessories in their natural habitat -- interiors from around the world. Lusty Vessels adorn the living room Read more
May 31, 2017
"The door handle is the handshake of the building," said Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa. Hardware on furniture - cabinet and drawer pulls, hinges Read more
May 17, 2017
Mica is among the most beautiful materials nature has provided. Neither a stone nor a resin, it belongs to an important class of rock-forming minerals; Read more
May 5, 2017
This May promises to be a busy month in our Central Embassy Shop. The opening of the Park Hyatt Hotel upstairs on May 12th coincides with the 3rd anniversary Read more
April 20, 2017
Below is a video tour of our gallery in Brera at this years Milan Fuori Salone where we launched the Atlantica collection. We also exhibited a selection of our Read more
April 7, 2017
For our new collection, ATLANTICA, I invited Brazilian designer Antonio Da Motta to design a limited collection of furniture and lighting expressing the Read more
March 22, 2017
Trays present an alluring design opportunity. They sit like framed art on horizontal surfaces with their hardware and their cool surface space. More Read more
March 8, 2017
This January marked 4 years since our brand was first represented by Angela Brown LTD in New York. Our formal debut in the US, Angela has been a sophisticated Read more
February 16, 2017
Over the years, we have created many designs for our lighting collection using materials that I love and forms that will last forever. Good lighting can Read more
February 2, 2017
Functional yet sculptural. Delicate but strong. Simple yet complex. Complimentary opposites Alexander explored designing the Vault Bench. Its name derives from Read more
January 13, 2017
Context is everything, especially with design. An item's beauty, presence and even purpose can be reinterpreted depending on its surroundings. This week we Read more
December 31, 2016
One side to our business that we haven't shared a lot about on this blog is our custom, bespoke work. Over the years we have shared material expertise and Read more
December 8, 2016
My Dad, Victor Lamont, was a great mentor to me in choosing this life of design. He passed away this year but his vitality and passions live on with me. He Read more
November 23, 2016
Because there is no such thing as too much inspiration during this holiday season, we'd like to present a few of our favourite things. Here's to a Read more
November 10, 2016
Bangkok is a mega city - approximately 10 million residents - that is full of giant structures and vanity projects. But down at street level there are also Read more
October 26, 2016
This October marks the 40th anniversary of the passing of Eileen Gray (1878 – 1976) a most significant artist who navigated between Art Deco and Modern Read more
October 12, 2016
A few years ago we began experimenting with white lacquer from Japan. It provided a wonderful base for red lacquer giving it an extra vibrancy, lift and Read more
September 28, 2016
Our company's design and creative energy is deeply rooted in touch. There is no substitute for the cool, smooth surface of gesso; the sensual ivory grains Read more
September 9, 2016
This fall Alexander Lamont presents a Limited Edition collection of handcrafted tissue boxes wrapped in their signature materials of shagreen, parchment and Read more
August 18, 2016
The Umbra Vase group were originally inspired by the shadows created by celestial bodies such as planets or the moon. The shadow behind these bodies floating Read more
August 4, 2016
Last blog post we presented the new Editions Spring 2016 collection. In the coming weeks we will write more about the story behind the individual pieces, the Read more
July 27, 2016
The objects in the Spring 2016 collection are sculptural elements that were largely derived from different ideas of energy - pressure, harnessing, slicing, Read more
June 29, 2016
In May I travelled to San Francisco to attend the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit 2016. It was the first time I had attended a gathering of this kind Read more
June 15, 2016
The new Spring 2016 Collection is the largest Alexander has designed with close to 40 original pieces comprised of furniture, lighting and accessories. Read more
June 1, 2016
We are happy to share with you 'Alexander Lamont's' involvement in this year's Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York City. The 5 storey, 10 Read more
May 18, 2016
As we may have mentioned before, it is truly difficult to improve on nature. Natural wood is a thing of great beauty. The shades, textures, colours and Read more
May 6, 2016
The most beautiful handmade arts of Laos have arrived in Alexander Lamont. For many years we have worked with the artisan's of Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia Read more
April 20, 2016
This is a picture essay of a road trip I organized with friends to the furthest east point of Thailand. We went in search of open country, Isaan food and Read more
April 6, 2016
Linked below is a short film I have just finished that brings some light and movement to my words, processes and background; 3 minutes of ‘why', Read more
March 23, 2016
We have written recently about the making of gold leaf and about the lost-wax bronze casting method we employ, this week we bring them together to highlight Read more
March 9, 2016
Alex recently hosted lacquer artist Saeko Ando in the Bangkok workshop. The two artists met almost one year ago at a lacquer conference in Thailand and Read more
February 24, 2016
I have mentioned the influence of the Art Deco period in the materials I use, and the designs I make so I thought I would write a piece about some actual Read more
February 10, 2016
Back in December in the Japan Shopping post I mentioned that I would soon write more about The Nakasendo Trail. The trail or Central Mountain Route was Read more
January 27, 2016
In our search for textures that exude sculptural richness and tactile interest, nature is our biggest influence. We cannot improve upon the rough bark of a Read more
January 13, 2016
We'd like to introduce you to another Team Leader at Alexander Lamont - Niang Pramoopratam. Khun Niang (Khun is the polite participle used before all names Read more
December 18, 2015
Do you know, that if you were able to hold up a sheet of gold leaf you would be able to see right through it? It would be very difficult to try to do this as Read more
December 2, 2015
As Alex’s wife and partner in business it is somewhat confusing that we both have the same name. But I hope you will find our style of writing to be Read more
November 18, 2015
As a decorative artist, I have always been drawn to working with historic craft traditions and techniques from Asia and Europe and refining them into Read more
October 29, 2015
A while ago I visited Malacca with Alexandra my wife. Yes, we are known by our friends as ‘the Alexes’. This trip was for one specific purpose Read more
October 28, 2015
This week I have something different for you, a short story. It’s about the life and death and rebirth of a lotus leaf. There was once a lotus Read more
October 14, 2015
The beauty and power of rock crystal has been cherished for millennia across different cultures. It has been an important element in the evolution of aesthetic Read more
September 30, 2015
Alexander Lamont is excited to be launching the Fall 2015 collection of Le Mur wall panels this month. Building on the 2014 Le Mur Read more
September 17, 2015
I spent last week in Vietnam meeting with lacquer artists and friends. I first visited Vietnam in 1995. That was after many years of travelling to Thailand - a Read more
September 2, 2015
For collectors of all persuasions, it is generally recognized that a key part of the equation of collecting is knowing how best to display cherished pieces. Read more
August 19, 2015
Ryosuke Harashima, product designer from Kanazawa in Japan first came to work with us in 2010. With the brief to design a gift collection Ryosuke re-imagined Read more
August 5, 2015
Bronze animal sculpture has been a part of the artwork that we design and make since the beginning. Animals, birds and fish bring a vitality to sculpture that Read more
July 22, 2015
As the managing editor for the blog, I see many photographs every week of the current work going on in our workshops. I come across various images that Read more
July 8, 2015
If you have ever seen a raw piece of shagreen, it’s not easy to imagine the transformation the skin endures to result in the rich, deeply detailed Read more
June 24, 2015
Finding stones in a mountain can be more difficult than it might sound. I recently found this out while looking for stones to make the Cornice Lamp. Read more
June 10, 2015
We have a guest author this week: my father. I’ve written in the past about how the business he started when I was a child has powerfully Read more
June 3, 2015
What we see is a constantly changing world of light and colour and texture. Any visual artist will tell you that the first thing needed is to learn to see. Read more
May 27, 2015
The Canister Lamp is a striking contemporary sculptural light that excels at re-interpreting the use of shagreen and in combining this lustrous natural Read more
May 20, 2015
For an Englishman like me, toast is a national 'treasure.' It takes a simple slice of bread and through charring the surface brings it to a whole new Read more
May 13, 2015
The art of lacquer is one of the alchemical and seemingly elusive techniques found in the decorative arts. It has its origins in early China and Japan and has Read more
May 6, 2015
Western Australia could swallow the entire United Kingdom, Texas and Japan together within its borders - with none of them touching and enormous spaces Read more
April 29, 2015
Yuna Yagi is in certain ways the 'face' of our company. She is a trained architect who practiced in New York and Berlin for many years and then Read more
April 22, 2015
The new Suji parchment technique is a fresh take on the Mighty Table, a classic Alexander Lamont design. Playing with the intrinsic textile qualities of Read more
April 15, 2015
This spring we have added four new wall sconce designs to our lighting collection. Proper lighting is essential in creating the atmosphere and feel for a Read more
April 8, 2015
I first visited Thailand in 1981 with my family. My father bought antiques and traditional folk art for our family business in England and to my great fortune Read more
April 1, 2015
Our two most iconic materials are blended together to make one of our own development; the elegant, durable and timeless signature material, Bronzed Read more
March 25, 2015
While brainstorming with Alex about potential blog posts there was one that immediately captivated me. Not only because it brought to my attention a Read more
March 18, 2015
"Taking design ideas of great simplicity and elegance and applying materials and techniques that have never been imagined before. This is what I love. Read more
March 11, 2015
"People hang their pictures high up on the walls, but they place their objects for everyday use close to them and take them in their hands." - Soetsu Read more
March 4, 2015
Nearly all of the art and objects that we see in the famous museums of the world are there thanks to their beauty and durability. However they are not made of Read more
February 25, 2015
I have been working with shagreen for 14 years now but the questions and answers technically and design-wise remain constant. The material is generally Read more
February 18, 2015
Gong Hey Fat Choy or Gong Xi Fa Cai to our readers who celebrate Chinese New Year. 2015 brings in the Year of the Sheep or Goat, an animal symbolic of peace, Read more
February 11, 2015
In looking back at great craft traditions, gesso is one of the unsung heroes. It was developed originally as a base for the pigments and gilding that decorated Read more
February 4, 2015
Jewellery is a strong source of inspiration for the pieces I make. There is an intricacy in design and an appreciation for shape and materials in found Read more
January 28, 2015
Alexander Lamont has perfected the 18th century technique of turning sand into a solid and elegant textured surface. Initially used as a counterbalance Read more
January 22, 2015
India is a place that lives in ones imaginations as vividly as it does in the reality of the experiences traveling there. I am just back from India where I had Read more
January 14, 2015
How to create sensual, langorous expression in the form of a bowl used for entertaining or admiring? It was Charles Eames who said, “The Read more
January 7, 2015
Watching Naomi Daimaru create an Ikebana floral arrangement elicits an immediate appreciation for nature. Working in reflective silence and taking the Read more
December 31, 2014
The smoke Is now makingThe first sky of the year. -- Issa This Haiku poem is a beautiful reminder of another year gone by and of the poetic beauty of Read more
December 24, 2014
As we prepared this blog entry we learned that the wall sconce from our new Black Orchid collection is featured in the current issue of the American magazine, Read more
December 17, 2014
Galuchat is the French word for Shagreen. Shagreen/galuchat is the name used only for those things that have been covered with raw stingray or shark skins. The Read more
December 10, 2014
Japan seduces the ‘materialist' with a gorgeous palette of textures and patterns and tones. The Japanese celebration and reverence for nature through Read more
December 3, 2014
Eggshell has been an obsession of mine recently. It is the strongest and yet most delicate material. The work itself is satisfying as you push the little Read more
November 26, 2014
I am very pleased to let you know that the ‘Alexander Lamont’ Blog is being launched today. The company is now almost 15 years old which Read more
September 5, 2014
Strong, yet flexible, bronze is a sculptural material that has been employed in the decorative arts of Europe, Africa and Asia for millennia. In fact, Read more
July 17, 2014
Cornwall embodies a certain dream of England; this small island, so famous for its rain and low leaden skies. Cornwall is the most westerly county in England, Read more
June 12, 2014
In June 2014, we presented our first limited wall covering collection Le Mur using two signature materials - straw marquetry and shagreen. The Read more
May 15, 2014
After more than a year of conversation, design and development, in May 2014 I opened our new store at Central Embassy in Bangkok. It was an enriching, Read more
December 3, 2013
A beautiful box naturally piques our curiosity. We want to reach out and lift the lid to discover what it conceals inside: what is it that is so precious that Read more
March 25, 2013
Every year at my studio and workshop we have a 'Tham Bun' ceremony when we bring monks to bless our factory and staff. This year it took place in early Read more
February 11, 2013
In 2003 I was trying to think of ways to make the bronze that I loved into a lighter form - something that was bronze and sculptural but that had a lightness Read more
December 12, 2012
Alberto Giacometti was inspired to start his series of ethereal, long bronze sculptures when he glimpsed the long shadow of an artist against a wall in Paris Read more
November 12, 2012
Between 2009 and 2012, we were privileged to have lacquer master, Eric Stocker, in the workshop, training our artisans and producing our pieces using the Read more
November 9, 2012
For the Scholar's Collection I worked in collaboration with Japanese artist Ryosuke Harashima to create small objects, treasures, precious pieces that I Read more
August 7, 2012
I was once asked why straw fascinates me. Perhaps it is the fairy-tale idea of taking a humble material like the straw that filled the fields around my Read more
May 11, 2012
I have pursued lacquer for decades: the fabled material that lies between East and West, Kyoto and Paris. It is to my eyes the most alluring, subtle yet iconic Read more
October 11, 2011
In September 2011 I did a special exhibition at Serindia Gallery in Bangkok in collaboration with my friends Robert Piccus and Shane Suvikapakornkul, owner of Read more